Arnie

I thought I’d send you an update on Arnie that you can put under your Puppy Stories tab.

Arnie is about 7 months old now, a solid 64 pounds as of last week, and a member of the family in every sense of the word. He follows us around and the house, always watching and noticing everything. He can be protective, but has never been agressive. It’s more like an attitude that someone he doesn’t know can’t be my friend until they’re his friend first. Once he gets a few sniffs in with strangers, he’s satisfied and goes back to his cushion. He’s the smartest puppy I’ve ever met, and he is the world’s biggest sucker for a piece of ice. He’s learning to push the button to get his own ice from the ice maker, which is something he’s picked up on his own. He gets along great with my wife’s chihuahua, and they are always racing up and down the hallway or sleeping in the sunny spots of the living room floor. His outdoor life is pretty nice as well. When I go hunting, he hunts with me, and he’s never had an issue being gun-shy. He also enjoys jumping off the dock and taking a swim when we go fishing. Every night, he goes with me on a two or three mile bike ride around our neighborhood, and that’s done wonders for his day-time energy levels too. I’m hoping this spring and summer, things will be calm enough around our house to take him to our trainer to teach him to point-flush-retrieve in time for dove season in September.

I did take him goose hunting during on morning during the blizzard we had in early January. He’s fetched tennis balls and toys for a couple of months now, but I’ve never once tried to teach him to retrieve a downed bird. Well, I had killed a few one morning, and I’d also had the pleasure of going and getting them myself, ALL morning. On my last bird that day, the bird went down close by and Arnie took off on his own and brought the goose back to his place in the blind! This was completely un-commanded or practiced. I did have to give him a piece of beef jerky as a trade for the goose, but the retrieve was flawless (minus him dragging it back by the beak).

I also wanted to let anyone who drops by this website know what a great job you do. You’ve always been available to answer the phone when I’ve called to ask questions about Arnie, and you’ve been willing to ask your vet for tips that might help us too. You guys have been such a great help to us. I don’t know that we will be getting another one soon, now that we have a baby on the way, but I’ve suggested several people to check you guys out when they tell me they want to take my dog home.

Attached are some of his better pictures as well. He’s a camera hog.

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